Kara P. Dodson

CERTIFICATIONS + coursework

CPC (Certified Professional Coach) through Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)

Certified Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP)

Why did you become a coach?

I spent many years working with a coach who helped me deepen my understanding of my ability to think purposefully. I have also had the benefit of collaborating with, and learning from, some of the best coaches in the legal industry. My coaching experience and certification process enabled me to combine my legal education, intelligence and purposeful thinking, along with my natural ability to authentically develop other professionals. I am grateful to share this powerful ability with other lawyers, as I believe this is a much-needed resource for the legal profession.

Is there a particular lens through which you approach your coaching?

I start with the core premise of coaching: a coach does not have the answers; instead, an effective coach lends support and guidance in a way that enables the client to find their own solutions. Each of us has the ability to consciously create a pattern of thought to lead to a desired outcome. When you think a thought, you feel a feeling. When you feel something, you take action (or not) because of your feeling. Your action (behaviors) create your experience in the world. It is not circumstances, but our thoughts about the circumstances that create our experience. We attract what we think about. When we are consciously positive, we have the power to feel better and to have a more positive experience. There is no amount of action that can compensate for negative thinking. My goal with coaching is to help my clients identify limiting beliefs, and to consciously choose to think differently. Part of the power of coaching lies in creating awareness about this ability to make conscious choices.

What do you see as the key benefits coaching provides?

The intellectual burden of being a lawyer can be immense, and can lead to frustration and fatigue. Coaching is exercise and food for the brain. When a lawyer stops to collaborate with a coach, the result can be powerful. Just as a person can improve their fitness level by deciding to think differently about exercise and taking action, a lawyer can improve his/her business development skills, management skills, communication skills, leadership skills, or any other area which he/she wants to change by working with an effective coach.

What makes you a successful coach?

I truly enjoy people. My conscious positivity, and a tireless belief in the importance of empathy creates a trusting relationship with my clients. I am passionate about the legal profession and believe deeply in the importance of supporting lawyers in their daily tasks and in achieving their strategic long-term goals. I work to support my clients as we work together to identify their obstacles, hold them accountable to their goals and bring energy to each relationship.

Volta Talent Strategies LLC

Volta Talent Strategies LLC is certified as a Minority-Owned Business by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and as a Women-Owned Business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).